Meet Devlin 'Duck' Hodges, Ex- NFL Star, Entrepreneur, Got Married To Country Singer, Lainey Wilson

Popular country singer, Lainey Wilson has officially started a new phase of her life. For the unversed, Lainey is best recognised for her powerful voice and emotional lyrics. Over the years, she has given hits like Heart Like A Truck, Watermelon Moonshine, Things A Man Oughta Know and more. Recently, the singer tied the knot with former NFL player, Devlin Hodges.

Reportedly, the two had been dating for a long time. Amid their wedding in Tennessee, all the attention has shifted to Devlin 'Duck' Hodges. Well, apart from having a successful career in the NFL as the quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, he quit it and turned into an entrepreneur. As Devlin and Lainey have officially started a new chapter, continue reading to know more about the former NFL player. 

Devlin Hodges is affectionately called ‘Duck’

If a report by People Magazine is to be believed, Devlin Hodges attended Samford University in Alabama. While not much is available about his educational background and early life, reports claim that Devlin was a popular football player during his college years. During the same, his coach gave him the nickname of 'Duck'. Lainey Wilson once shared the reason behind it. In 2023, she was quoted as saying:

"His college football coach was like, 'You're one of the best quarterbacks I've ever worked with. And you remind me a lot of one of my favorite quarterbacks I got to work with years ago, and we called him Duck’. And so he and the team just kind of started calling him Duck."  

Devlin Hodges played for both the Steelers and LA Rams

Soon after college, Devlin Hodges started playing football professionally. He first played for the Pittsburgh Steelers for nearly two years, before joining LA Rams. However, he announced his retirement in 2022. During an appearance on The Bobby Bones Show, Lainey explained, "He knows what it’s like chasing a dream because he's done that for himself. He was in the NFL. He tried out literally for the Steelers and made it and had a really great run with them. Went out to LA Rams and did that." 

Devlin Hodges is in real estate

Soon after his retirement from the NFL, Devil started developing an interest in real estate. According to multiple reports, he worked with Mossy Oak Properties in Louisiana and in 2024, he joined the team at Myers Cobb Realtors. However, neither BollywoodShaadis nor the author can confirm if Devlin is still working with these companies. As per his Instagram handle, currently, he is the founder of Club Country, which is a golf brand. According to the official site of Club Country, they describe themselves as someone who ‘finds freedom in the great outdoors.’

Devlin Hodges and Lainey Wilson have been dating since 2021

Devlin Hodges and Lainey Wilson met through mutual friends and eventually fell in love with each other. The two began dating in 2021; however, they chose to keep it private in the beginning, until they were sure. In 2023, Lainey recalled her first date with Devlin and shared, "We went to this old place called Silverados, and it had free beer and wine from 5 to 10 p.m. I was like, ‘This boy likes to ball on a budget too. This is gonna work out'." 

Devlin Hodges and Lainey Wilson’s red carpet appearance

It is worth noting that despite falling in love before, Lainey and Devlin confirmed their romance in 2023 by making their red-carpet debut as a couple at the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards. Since then, the duo made multiple public appearances, including the CMA Awards, ACM Honors and more. At the 2023 CMA Awards, when Lainey won the Entertainer of the Year award, she kissed Devlin first and later even thanked him during her speech. Fans instantly fell in love with their relationship.

Devlin Hodges and Lainey Wilson got engaged in 2025

After dating for nearly four years, Devlin and Lainey exchanged rings in 2025. In February 2025, the couple shared a joint post on Instagram, in which they shared some cutesy snaps from the proposal. While she did not say much about it at that time, a month before their wedding, in April 2026, singer, Lainey Wilson had a conversation with People, when she explained:

"I was dreaming about what I was going to wear at my Grand Ole Opry debut. Instead of what song I would want my first dance to be to, I was dreaming about what song I would play at Red Rocks or the Ryman. The Lord surprises you at times and puts other dreams in your heart you didn't know you had."

Devlin Hodges and Lainey Wilson tied the knot in a dreamy wedding

According to a report by Vogue, it was on May 10, 2026, when Devlin Hodges and Lainey Wilson tied the knot in a beautiful and intimate wedding ceremony held at the Ruskin Cave in Dickson. While not much has been shared about their wedding, Lainey Wilson, recently, had a candid chat during an interview, during which she shared the reason behind her wedding location. She was quoted as saying:

"Duck and I were driving backroads in Tennessee and saw a billboard for The Ruskin Cave. Duck said, 'You wanna get married there?' I said, 'Done deal.' We dropped by, saw the venue and fell in love with the natural beauty of the cave and the simplicity of the property."

Congratulations to Devlin Hodges and Lainey Wilson for starting the best chapter of their lives!

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Photo credit: Lainey Wilson/IG, Devlin Hodges/IG

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